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Expectations are always high for South Carolina women’s soccer, and head coach Shelley Smith’s team embraces being one of the teams to beat in the SEC. One thing that will be different this year is who will be the main target for putting the ball in the back of the net with the graduation of All-American and career goals and points leader Cat Barry, who set a school record with 18 goals last year. Sophomore Katie Shea Collins, who earned Second Team All-SEC honors after scoring 13 goals last year, is a good place to start. Even though the 5’3” forward is a much smaller target than the 6’ Barry, she knows she will have a target on her back.
“Pressure is a privilege,” Collins said. “We had a lot of younger girls step up this spring. So many of them have put in so much effort and hard work. Even if they double team me, my teammates are going to help me. It’s about being a team player. It doesn’t matter how many goals you score. It doesn’t matter how many assists you have.”
“Katie Shea showed how tremendous she is as a player,” Smith said. “She’s going to get a lot of attention, regardless of who she is playing with which is something she will have to adjust to, but she is more than capable of doing that. She is going to give opportunities to other players that have been waiting their turn. We have some new faces as well to add to the attack.
“(Junior) Cuyler Zulauf had a great opportunity to play this summer with Katie Shea in an event in North Carolina and showed she can play with top players. She is getting better every year. Coming into her junior year, she is going to make an impact. We’re going to need people like her to come in and give us that offensive lift.”
The Gamecocks went 11-4-7 overall and finished fourth in the SEC last year with a 5-2-3 league mark. The Gamecocks were the SEC Tournament runners-up and were ranked 17th at the end of the year after reaching the second round of NCAA Tournament.
“I love the camaraderie of this group. We’re excited for what we have this season and for the lineup that we have.”
Coach Shelley Smith
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This is Smith’s 25th year leading the Gamecocks, and a common thread during her career has been defense. South Carolina returns a pair of key seniors in the back with goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis, who tallied four shutouts and was fourth in the SEC with 76 saves last year, as well as two-time First Team All-SEC defender Gracie Falla.
“Gracie is leading in the back line,” Smith said. “Christina was in goal last year, so it’s nice to have that experience in the back. We have experienced defenders like (senior) Micah Bryant and (junior) Amanda Patrick that are returning. They play wide and do a great job of getting into the attack. They’re two more upperclassmen that show a lot of depth. It’s the same with our midfield. We have (junior) Maggie Taitano, who has gotten much better in the middle. (Sophomore) Avery Galante is in the mix there. We have a lot of players that can play good minutes for us and have experience. (Senior) Kinley Brown is another one. All these players played behind a lot of fifth-year players last year, so they’re just ready to go.”
“Last spring was one of our best springs yet,” Falla said of the offseason. “We grew together on the field and off the field. That’s been a big part of our success going into the fall.”
“I’m definitely a lot more confident this year,” Tsaousis said. “I’m ready to go.”
The Gamecocks brought in a few key newcomers via the transfer portal to go along with seven freshmen.
“We have good depth through every position,” Smith said. “Our freshmen have come in and done really well right away. Mackenzie Johnson, Alexa Pino, and Ava Tutas are all attacking-minded players. They’ve shown already that they can handle this level. We have Ashley Connolly coming in the back, Helen Ghertner in the center of the midfield, and Katie Russo can play a variety of positions. They will all get opportunities to show us what they can do.
“(Senior) Taylor Bloom has come in, a center back from Pepperdine, who brings a lot of experience. She has had a lot of national team experience. (Sophomore goalkeeper) Emma Kirlin has come in from Florida State. She’s another person that gives us great depth and is challenging for playing time.”
The Gamecocks led the nation in attendance last year and will look to give the Stone Stadium faithful a lot to cheer about again in 2025. South Carolina opens the season Thursday at College of Charleston and hosts South Florida on Sunday at 6 p.m.
“We’re very good at possession, and we want to be as threatening as we can. I love the camaraderie of this group,” Smith said. “We’re excited for what we have this season and for the lineup that we have. We’re excited to get started!”
(PHOTO BELOW: Katie Shea Collins)
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